Saturday, May 26, 2012

Theresa Schrempp Letter to the Boston Globe: "Even the composition of the photo is the same"

Dear Editor:

I am a lawyer in Washington State where assisted suicide was unfortunately legalized by an initiative in 2008. I couldn't help but notice that your article promoting a similar initiative in Massachusetts follows the same template as articles that ran here. Even the composition of the photo is the same. ["Dying Wishes, April 29, 2012]

The article claims that the proposed law's application process is designed to ensure that people are not coerced. To the contrary, the proposed law invites coercion by allowing an heir or other person with a financial interest in the patient's death, to actively participate in the lethal dose sign up process. Someone else is also allowed to talk for the patient during the sign up process. In the context of the preparation of a will, similar conduct can result in a will being invalidated due to fraud and/or undue influence. Such overreaching conduct is, however, specifically allowed by the proposed law.